We didn’t call it the Smell Like Dirt store but that’s what it is! Everything you need for a thriving backyard habitat in one location! Food, water (features), shelter and places to raise young for birds and other wildlife. We hope that you will come by and see us if you are in the Charlotte NC area! We will be hosting Bird Lover Workshops, composting classes and how to create habitat presentations. Drop by our website and sign up for our newsletter.

If you live in or near Columbia County, Florida, make sure you don’t miss the upcoming Gardening for Wildlife Workshop sponsored by the Gateway Wildlife Habitat Organization (GWHO). GWHO is the organization working to get Lake City and Columbia County certified as a Community Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Carol will be the keynote speaker on Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 7pm at the Lake City Garden Club. For more details, email me at SmellLikeDirt@gmail.com.

Spring composting classes are drawing to a close. I am only scheduled to teach two more classes until Fall. The next one is 4/17 at the Charlotte Nature Museum (704 372 6261 x300) and the other one is scheduled for May 15 in Matthews (704 847 3640). The classes are $10 and if you would like to attend, please call the facility and register for the class. Remember, compost is the very best thing you can add to your soil and you can make it for FREE out of materials in your home and garden!

Backyard Composting is simply taking a process that’s completely natural and speeding it up so that we can reuse the yard waste from our gardens for the benefit of our gardens. If you can’t take one of my classes (see previous post) then take the time to watch these videos and feel free to ask if you have any questions!

We’re getting a lot of hits and comments about composting so Fall must be close! If you don’t live in the Greater Charlotte NC area, please watch the composting videos for a quick how-to. But if you are lucky enough to live in the area, Mecklenburg County offers 4 hr Composting and Sustainable Gardening classes for only $10 and you don’t have to live inside the county lines to take advantage of them! What’s more, you get a wire composting bin and a book of information and a comprehensive list of native plants. Go to the Wipe Out Waste website for a listing of the classes. I’ll be teaching the classes being held on Oct 3rd, Oct 24th, 31st, and Nov 7th.

A short Down and Dirty tip on how to make your freezer more efficient, save energy and plan for natural disasters….all by doing one simple thing. And as we enter hurricane and tornado season, I think this tip is pretty timely as well.

After a long dry spell (pun intended), we’re back with a video about water.

Of the four elements of a wildlife habitat: Food, water, shelter and places to raise young, I think water is the most important. EVERYTHING needs water and being creative in providing water for wildlife can lead to hours of enjoyment watching the birds and other wildlife in your backyard.

If you have some creative ways you are providing water in your habitat, please let us know by sending pictures or videos.

Welcome to Smell Like Dirt!

"In Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." --Margaret Atwood.
I believe we are losing our relationship with nature and with it, the understanding that how we live impacts the world around us. This blog will explore ways to reconnect to nature: Gardening with native plants, creating a haven for wildlife in your backyard, tips on living green and fun ways to experience our abundant natural resources. Its time to get outside! I smell like dirt, do you?

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